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Forked Pine Campground

Beauty Privacy Spaciousness Quiet Security Cleanliness

KEY INFORMATION

CONTACT: 928-526-0866, tinyurl.com/forkedpine

OPEN: Year-round when roads are open; full services mid-May–October 1

SITES: 24

EACH SITE HAS: Picnic table, fire ring with grill

ASSIGNMENT: First-come, first-served; no reservations

REGISTRATION: With camp host

AMENITIES: Vault toilets, firewood, boat ramp, campground host, day-use area

PARKING: At campsites

FEE: $18/night, $8/additional vehicle, $8 day use

ELEVATION: 7,132'

RESTRICTIONS:

PETS: On leash only

FIRES: In fire rings only

ALCOHOL: Permitted

VEHICLES: 35-foot length limit; 1 vehicle/site; motorbikes restricted to entering and exiting campsite

QUIET HOURS: 10 p.m.–6 a.m.

OTHER: 14-day stay limit; 8-person limit/site; 10-horsepower boat-motor size limit; horses prohibited

If you intend to fish or would like to wake up to the sun rising over the lake, there’s no need to go any farther.

The San Francisco Peaks peek above the horizon across Ashurst Lake.

As the temperatures in the desert valleys creep up into the triple digits, people start flocking to Arizona’s high country. The Mormon Lake area is a popular summer retreat, with many small lakes and several good campgrounds along scenic Lake Mary Road south from Flagstaff toward Payson. Our favorite of these is Ashurst Lake, a little gem in the pinyon–juniper grasslands. If you intend to fish or would like to wake up to the sun rising over the lake, no need to go any farther.

The route from Flagstaff takes you past Upper Lake Mary, a popular spot for boating, waterskiing, fishing, and bird-watching. Past Lakeview Campground at the intersection with Pine Grove Campground, turn east onto Forest Road 82E, a well-graded dirt road that carries you onto higher ground, passing through large, grassy meadows speckled with ponderosa pines and a few oaks. Look northwest to see the San Francisco Peaks rising over the trees in the distance. This good grazing land borders the Anderson Mesa Wildlife Protection Area, so keep an eye out for elk, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope, as well as cattle.

As you pull up to Ashurst Lake, take a left at the fork in the road and drive around the lake to Forked Pine Campground. Here you will find 24 sites in three loops, with views of the lake and the San Francisco Peaks in the background. All sites contain a picnic table and a steel fire ring with a grill, and most have a cleared, leveled tent area. In loop A, the campground hosts who live here from mid-May through the end of September take site number 6. Of the eight sites here, check out open sites 7 and 8, nearest to the lake, or site 3, tucked in between the shelter of junipers but with less of a lake view. If you prefer more privacy, we recommend heading on to loop B’s four sites, where sites 12 and 13 sit near the water’s edge for convenient kayak access. There is no toilet facility in this loop, so you will have to take the short walk to loop C to answer the call of nature. Loop C is the largest loop with 12 sites, several with convenient access to the lake for fishing and water play. If the wind is blowing, try small but sheltered site 18; for sunshine and a wide-open feeling, look at lakeside sites 22 and 23. You are also close to the bouldery boat ramp here, near site 20.

Man-made Ashurst Lake was dammed in 1954 to provide water for recreational fishing. The 230-acre lake is frequently stocked with trout, bass, and channel catfish, so bring your fishing pole and canoe or small boat (as long as the motor is less than 10 horsepower). Anderson Mesa has been designated an Important Bird Area—come here for great bird-watching, particularly during migrations. If you should see an osprey drop from the sky and splash up with a fish, look for the bird to turn the catch in its talons in flight so that it faces aerodynamically forward. Among the coots (the lake’s most common denizens in every season), look for pied-billed grebes, whose telltale sign is the uncanny ability to duck underwater as soon as you get your binoculars pointed in their direction. During spring and fall migration, you may see northern shovelers, cinnamon teals, northern pintails and ring-necked ducks, plus western grebes courting with their long, swanlike necks. Mountain bluebirds are everywhere, and in the early-morning hours you won’t be able to miss the cascading, liquid call of the meadowlark. You may also see less attractive fliers; bring bug spray for spring’s no-see-um gnats. Hunters and avid fishermen can use the campground in the off-season, without the comfort of facilities, although in bad winter weather the road may be closed. You’re on high, flat land up here, so come prepared for heavy winds in any season.

If you get sick of your camp cooking, head over to Mormon Lake Lodge at Mormon Lake Village. The lodge, open since 1924, has a restaurant and a general store. A catastrophic fire burned the original lodge to the ground in 1974, but local ranchers rebuilt it, and the interior walls still display their cattle brands. Western literature buffs will find a nice selection of Zane Grey memorabilia, as well as a plethora of game trophies. The village also offers gasoline, riding stables, rental cabins, and winter recreation, including snowmobile and cross-country ski rentals.

Mormon Lake is Arizona’s largest natural lake, but don’t expect much fishing here, as it’s often nearly dry. The resulting marshy pasture is a great place to view wildlife, so stop at the overlook and see if you can spot a bald eagle flying overhead, or elk grazing on the tall grasses. One (possibly tall) tale we’ve been told is that as many as 50 elk will gather in the middle of the lake bed during hunting season, as if some instinct tells them that no hunter will take a shot in the face of an impossibly soggy retrieval.

GETTING THERE

From Flagstaff, take Lake Mary Road (FR 3) southeast 17 miles to FR 82E. Turn left and drive east 4 miles to the campground.

GPS COORDINATES N35° 01.372' W111° 23.828'